Well, it’s official, Warren Jeffs, Prophet–so called of the FLDS church is a convicted child molester. I did not follow the trial on a day to day basis; however, assuming media reports to be accurate, from what I have read, the State of Texas was able to accomplish what Utah was unable to do–put Jeffs away for life for actual criminal activity on his part.

That said, my defense of Jeffs in his Utah trial and my defense of the FLDS people in the Texas raid has nothing to do with my personal view of Jeffs at this point, based on the evidence presented in the Texas trial and the resulting jury’s verdict. Mr. Jeffs belongs in prison, and life is not likely a long enough term for him, given the horrific nature of his crimes.

The Salt Lake Tribune has some very interesting posts of some of the audio recordings Texas authorities used to convict Jeffs and his delusional ramblings of how he needed quorums of wives, some of whom clearly were underaged. The recordings are pretty creepy, even when the topic is not sexual in nature.

Jeffs has had his day in court, the evidence presented, and now he serves a life sentence as a convicted child molester. It will be interesting to see how this impacts his control over the FLDS church he ran, and whether there will be a power play for the position of “prophet.”

I just finished watching Anderson Cooper’s 360 discussion on the Warren Jeffs story tonight in his Crime and Punishment segment. Some how, his signature statement of how he and every contributor to his program is keeping someone or another honest just got lost in the shuffle. (more…)

In a victory for Warren Jeffs, and an even larger victory for the Constitution, both Utah and United States, the Utah Supreme Court has reversed Jeffs’ conviction and ordered a new trial. I haven’t yet read the opinion; however the Salt Lake Tribune has a good article on the ruling: (more…)

Yet six speakers at a July 24 Senate Judiciary Committee hearing — from Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid to former plural wife Carolyn Jessop — said fraud and misuse of welfare funds is a primary reason the federal government should be more involved in investigating the sect. Reid said the FLDS have a “sophisticated, wealthy and vast criminal organization” that includes “welfare fraud.”

Jessop told the committee the FLDS engage in a “religious doctrine” known as ‘bleeding the beast,’ ” which she explained included applying for “every possible type of government of assistance that is available.” Author Stephen Singular, who has written a book about the FLDS, told the committee that Colorado City residents received “eight times the welfare assistance of comparably sized towns in the area.”

Hey, Harry, the nation is poised on the brink of another Depression, and you’re off investigating the FLDS–at taxpayer expense– when the data doesn’t even support the claims? And, Carolyn Jessop? Does anyone believe she has an ounce of credibility when it comes to FLDS issues? That’s like asking Fawn Brodie to write an objective biography of the Prophet Joseph Smith. (Cute the July 24th hearing date).

Face it, the government is still singling out the FLDS because of their peculiar and unpopular religious beliefs and practices. You don’t hear this in reference to lifestyles in government run ghettos all over the country:

But Paul Murphy, spokesman for Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff, said that while there may not be “outright fraud” by the polygamous community, there is “a resentment that taxpayers are being used to support this lifestyle.